Walsh proves his class to help Crokes retain Dublin crown 

Na Fianna were contesting a first final in 17 years and ended it with a number of regrets and some questions after a controversial incident midway through the second-half 

TIGHT TUSSLE: Kilmacud Crokes' Shane Walsh and Paddy Quinn of Na Fianna. Pic: INPHO/Laszlo Geczo

Kilmacud Crokes 0-11 Na Fianna 0-10 

Four Shane Walsh points from play helped Kilmacud Crokes retain their Dublin senior football title on Sunday afternoon but in a game that wasn’t without some degree of controversy and confusion.

The move of Walsh to the Stillorgan outfit from the Kilkerrin-Clonberne club in his native Galway attracted a huge amount of debate at the time and the 29-year old proved his class on the big day with his quartet of scores more than making up for a handful of wides.

Walsh’s input was all the more crucial for the absence of the club’s longstanding talisman Paul Mannion who picked up an injury at the quarter-final stage. The bottom line is a win by the narrowest of margins over their north city opponents.

Na Fianna, without a title since 2001, were contesting a first final in 17 years and they ended it with a number of regrets and maybe some questions with it after an incident midway through the second-half when the game flipped on its head.

This one started without any of the rain and little of the wind that affected so many sporting events over the weekend and that fed into a lively opening where the sides shared a dozen scores equally over the first 20-plus minutes.

Walsh had played his part in that, clipping over one of the 12 with his left foot and putting his shoulder to the wheel up front and at the back before suffering injury in innocuous enough fashion as he battled Glen O’Reilly for a ball down the touchline.

The Galway All Star duly left the field as a blood sub but re-emerged for the second-half with Crokes a point down – 0-7 to 0-6 – and that deficit stretched to two before Ben Shovlin registered their first point in almost 20 minutes.

Kilmacud were still behind when the game turned with Na Fianna’s Paddy Quinn and Crokes’ Craig Dias clashing in an off-the-ball incident that left the former leaving the field with his arm wrapped in his jersey and having received a black card.

Quinn shook his head in disgust as he left, his feelings clearly shared by the Na Fianna support who had only been able to look on as Walsh went upfield and equalised while their man was down. Maybe worse was Dias putting them ahead just moments later.

Whatever about the rights and wrongs in that short stretch - and TV replays didn’t seem to catch anything - more costly to Na Fianna's ambitions was their shortcomings in front of goal and the nine second-half attempts they sent wide or short as the game was there to be won.

Three points in the last 37 minutes – they had plenty of injury-time to work with – was never likely to be enough even if they came close with Brian O’Leary hacking their last point just over the bar from a desperate goalmouth scramble.

Scorers for Kilmacud Crokes: S Walsh (0-4); C Dias (0-2); D Mullin (0-2, 0-1 mark); R O’Carroll, A McGowan and B Shovlin (all 0-1).

Scorers for Na Fianna: A Byrne (0-2); D Lacey and C McHugh (both 0-2 frees); E Murchan, M Day, P Quinn and B O’Leary (all 0-1.

Kimacud Crokes: C Ferris; M Mullions, T Clancy, D O’Brien; C O’Shea, R O’Carroll, A McGowan; B Shovlin, C Dias; T Fox, S Cunningham, A Jones; H Kenny, D Mullin, S Walsh.

Subs: C Casey for Walsh (29-30) and for Horan (47); D Ryan for Cunningham (47); P Purcell for Kenny (66).

Na Fianna: D O’Hanlon; G Farrell, E O’Dea, E Murchan; A Fitzgerald, J Cooper, A Rafter; M Day, P Quinn; J Doran, A Byrne, D Lacey; G O’Reilly, C McHugh, B O’Leary.

Subs: S Caffrey for O’Reilly (42); J Doran for D Quinn (52); Dean Ryan for Rafter and Donal Ryan for black card (57)

Referee: B Tiernan (O’Dwyer’s).